COP17 enters final negotiations in Yerevan as major international disagreements persist

YEREVAN – The United Nations Biodiversity Conference (COP17) entered its final scheduled day in Yerevan on October 30, with international negotiators still struggling to resolve major disagreements over conservation financing, environmental commitments and mechanisms for implementing global biodiversity targets.

The conference, which opened on October 19, has brought together delegations from countries around the world, international organizations, environmental experts and civil society representatives.

Its principal objective is to assess progress under the Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework, adopted in 2022, and establish practical measures to accelerate efforts to halt and reverse biodiversity loss by 2030.

However, significant divisions remain over the financing of conservation programs, the reduction of environmentally harmful government subsidies and the implementation of existing international commitments.

Environmental organizations have warned that progress toward the framework’s ambitious targets remains dangerously slow.

Among the most difficult issues is the responsibility of governments to mobilize additional funding to protect endangered species, restore damaged ecosystems and preserve forests, wetlands and other vital natural habitats.

COP17 President and Armenian Environment Minister Hambardzum Matevosyan has continued intensive consultations with participating governments in an effort to secure compromise agreements before the conference concludes.

The summit also provides Armenia with an important opportunity to host international environmental diplomacy and contribute to discussions shaping global conservation policy.

Nevertheless, the conference’s success will ultimately depend on whether participating countries can translate their declarations into measurable commitments backed by adequate financing and effective implementation.

As the negotiations approach their conclusion, the challenge facing governments remains clear: meaningful protection of the natural environment requires concrete action rather than another round of ambitious promises without sufficient mechanisms to ensure their fulfilment.